Oshkosh's Ryan builds gymnastic success off cheerleading background

9:15 PM,
Jan. 30, 2013

Oshkosh co-op gymnastics team senior Ally Ryan used her experience in competitive cheerleading to help earn a trip to the state gymnastics meet a year ago and has her sights set on a return visit this season.

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As she settles into one of the corners of the floor exercise mat, like every gymnast, Oshkosh's Ally Ryan is a study of bottled determination.

After just a moment of calm focus and with her stare burning a hole in opposite corner of the trampoline-like mat, she bursts into a sprint before flipping, twirling and vaulting herself through the air, landing with a perfect thud. The pass complete, and after a quick smile for the judges, she's off on the rest of her routine.

But it's that moment before the series of handsprings and round-offs that provides the key to the success of the tumbling pass and, ...